THUNDER: Rotation picture starting to come into focus

New York Yankees' pitcher Matt Tracy is pulled by manager Joe Girardi (28) during the ninth inning of an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, March 17, 2013 in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

TAMPA, Fla. — Here’s how you know it’s still early in minor league spring training: Trenton’s contest Friday in Bradenton featured just three players who could find themselves at Arm & Hammer Park this season. Otherwise, the lineup and pitching staff featured a mix of most likely destined for Charleston or lower.

Even so, a person with knowledge of the organization’s thinking gave The Trentonian a little bit of a glimpse into what the pitching staff should look like when camp breaks on March 31.

Barring injuries or trades, the rotation should feature righties Zach Nuding and Mikey O’Brien, as well as southpaws Nik Turley and Matt Tracy, who started for Trenton on Friday in Bradenton. The fifth and final spot will be between righties Jose Ramirez and Caleb Cotham.

Ramirez will be in Trenton this year. The question right now is whether the organization wants to hold him back for a few weeks while the Thunder begin the season in the chilly northeast, first against Portland and then New Hampshire before returning on April 11 for the home opener against Richmond.

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For those who might question holding back Ramirez because of the cold, especially if he hopes to someday pitch in the Bronx in April, think back to last year: Manny Banuelos opened the season with Scranton and pitched his first games in northern New York, where the temperatures were still in the 30s at game time.

He gave up 14 hits and seven walks in those first two outings – a span of 5 1/3 innings – before going on the shelf for the next three weeks. Once he returned, he lasted just four more starts before succumbing to the elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery this October.

It might not necessarily have been a cause-and-effect situation, but that’s part of what the organization is going to think about when it decides on Ramirez’s Opening Day assignment.

If that’s the case, right-hander Caleb Cotham will most likely keep Ramirez’s place in the rotation warm until the Yankees decide to bump him up. In theory, Cotham, who pitched just 101 1/3 innings last season, would then slide into the bullpen, where it would be easier to manage his workload.

Speaking of the bullpen, four spots appear to be locked down. Those belong to a trio of power right-handers — Dan Burawa, Tommy Kahnle and Branden Pinder — and lefty Jeremy Bleich, who will start on Saturday against Pirates minor leaguers in Tampa.

Burawa pitched on Friday in the Triple-A game in Pirate City. And although he got hit around a little bit, he showcased a fastball that sat consistently at 93-94 miles power, as well as a slider in the high-80s. He was scheduled to be at Trenton last season before injuries knocked him out for the year.

After refining their command with Tampa for most of the year, Pinder and Kahnle got a taste Double-A in the playoffs last year. Pinder made the biggest mark of the pair when he entered Game 3 of the Eastern League Championship Series with Akron with the bases loaded and nobody out and escaped unscathed.

The last four spots in the bullpen are up for grabs. One candidate is lefty Josh Romanski, who opened last season as Trenton’s fifth starter before a blister issue cost him most of the year. Fellow southpaw Kramer Sneed, who struggled last year at High-A, is also in the mix. Joining the lefties are Trenton veterans Craig Heyer and Cory Arbiso, who could wind up in either bullpen.

NOTES: Tracy went three innings on Friday. His fastball sat in the low-90s, but he struggled to command his curveball. Tyler Austin and J.R. Murphy were the two other Thunder players to see action in the Double-A game. … Phil Hughes, Hiroki Kuroda, Francisco Cervelli and Travis Hafner each made appearances at the Himes Complex on Friday. Shortstop Derek Jeter might do the same on Saturday. That decision will be made in the morning. … Prized prospects Jose Campos and Luis Severino will be throwing at Bradenton in the Charleston group on Saturday afternoon. Severino, who turned 19 last month, allowed just 46 hits in 64 1/3 innings in the Dominican Summer League last season. Campos, who missed most of last season, was the other part of the Yankees’ trade with the Mariners that sent Michael Pineda to the Bronx and Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi to Seattle.